The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-07

his ship in, and now came the crown
ing calamity of the voyage. Sailors
are proverbially superstitious, and the
occurrences of this passage had made
a deep impression upon the re
mainder of the crew of the "Nel-
lie Willis" The Captain observed
whfsperings and consultations among
them, and, though they worked faith
fully taking in the return cargo, he
could see that there was trouble brew
ing Two days before September /,
when the freight of tobacco and mo-
lasses was all stored below. five of the
seamen came aft, and one of them, cap
in hand, addressed him. The spokes-
man said that he and his mates had
made up their minds that the Nellie"
had become an unlucky ship, and that
they dared not return TO Boston in her.
They had worked the ship faithfully on
the voyage down, and they asked to be
paid off for the half-voyage, and dis
| charged.
Captain Willis was the very last man
a1oat who would tolerate any conduct
of this kind from his sailors. He
sternly ordered them back to their
duty, telling them that they had shipped
for the whole voyage, and the whole
voyage they must make. He added in
a significant way that such men could
not be trusted with shore leave, and
that they must stay on board till the
anchor was up again.
| The Captain flattered himself that he
had settled the matter by his firm
words and decided way; but he did not
know the spirit of these men. They
had determined that they would never
| return to Boston on the Nellie" That
| night the whole five tried to swim
| ashore. Two were carried out to sea
| by the swift current and drowned;
the mangled body of another was
found floating the next morning, al
most bitten in two by shark; as the
other two were not heard of again, it
was never known whether they
reached the quay safely, or whether
they succumbed to some of the many
perils of this harbor
| Captain Willis. now found himself
reduced to his mate, Ben Hardy, the
cook, and single seaman, beside his
nephew, who knew nothing about
working the ship. In no pleasant
frame of mind, he went ashore and Of
fered large premium to shipping
agent to procure him crew immedi-
atcly. The agent promised to do his
best, and went to work. The same
evening he visited the Captain on
board his vessel.
"It's no use, SIR" he said. T've
found dozen able scamen in Havana
who wantto ship; but one and all fatty
refuse to sail with YOU"
what do the rascals mcan?" the
Captain demanded.
"Why, the truth is, sir. the story
about your bark being unlucky has
been spread all over, and they won't
go in her."
"The idiotsw shouted Captain Willis,
stamping about his cabin. 1--WE sailed
this bark for more than a dozen years,
and nothing has gone amiss until this
voyage. Never lost man overheard
before; never had more than days
sickness before"
"Well, sir, you know what sailors
are better than do. Those fellows de-
serting, and at least three of 'em get
ting wound up at it, has fixed the
thing, so there's no use in my talking
about it. I'll try and get you picked
up lot, of all sorts; but better than that
} l can't do"
All the next day the agent was
bringing out to the bark by ones and
twos the newly-shipped crew, until
eleven had been Secured. The Cap
tain examined each man, and his
temper was by no means improved
when he found that there was not one
able seaman among the lot There
were four negroes, powerful, muscu-
| lar fellows, who had been working as
stcvedores, and who had made up their
, minds that they would like n sca-vOy-
, age. They carried clasp-knives in their
| Wristbands, and were not IA very pleas
ant lot To look at. Four more were
. depraved-looking Creoles, the very
dregs of the Spanish population. with
3 four as Misunderstanding faces as
t were ever seen aboard ship. Two
0 more were vagrant stowaways, who
: had come from Liverpool on mer.
| chant vessel, getting the ropes-end
$ literally on the passage, and after
| Snondin0 n month at HAVANA Ina ths